How To Be Built Different by Brother Curtis Hansen

         This morning's scripture is going to be 1 Peter chapter 2. Before we read the scripture, a little background for you. When Peter is writing this letter, it was to the church in Jerusalem. Paul had been establishing churches on his missionary trips. At the time of this letter being written, Peter was sitting in prison in Rome. Our focus verses will be verses 4 and 5. We will begin at verse 1.

        1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

        This list we will come back to in a little while. It's a list that could get it's own sermon though.

        2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

        3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

        4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,   

        5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ    

        6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

        7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

        8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

        9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

        In order to get out in front and on top of the list of verse one, you have to declutter your life and your mindset. We could use the analogy of a home being built. First you have to buy a plot of land to build your house on. You can look at your body as the vessel for your spirit man. In order for growth you can sustain, you have to clear out room and renew your mind and those thought processes. God despises a hypocrite, who have many pre-existing issues yet keep them hidden all the while pointing a finger at someone else. The blueprint of instruction has been given to us by God, but when you start using it in your daily life things may look different to you. In the process of building, God already knows you will have problems and issues. In order to receive from God, you need to clear out room for it. Everyone's each individual homes do not look the same. The same can be said about relationships. Jesus' relationship with Peter was a completely different one from his with Paul.

        Have you ever seen a video clip of a time-lapse? Our memories are similar, where you speed through to highlights of your life, skipping over small moments that made or changed you. Some testimonies are condensed by time-lapse. You can summarize or put into bullet points the parts you want to share with the outside world, but you are missing details to your testimony. Peter begins to use the imagery of the stone in verse 4. Jesus is the chief cornerstone, and the idea of Jesus being God, the cornerstone which the church is built upon. You cannot call something a house when you only have a cornerstone only. That's the starting point you work from. It is easy to accept Jesus but it is harder to accept yourself. You are going to build your house from that cornerstone. Verse 5 "Ye also" verse 9 "Ye are a chosen generation. You are building your own house. The spiritual sacrifices mentioned in verse 5 is not old covenant bulls or goats, but it is what you give up personally. 

        It is pretty very important for you and God to do frequent walk-thru's of your house to inspect if what you are building is matching your blueprint. Ultimately God wants a spiritual house from you. "A holy priesthood" You are the priest of your own house. You control yourself and your actions. We are subject to God but you still own your own house. The apostle Peter had to determine what he was good at in life and where he was short. You need to be aware of who you talk to about things. Being confounded in your belief will affect your building's construction.

        

        What was the problem that man had with Jesus? Man let him teach and preach in the synagogue. They did not want to believe that he was the messiah. That very fact alone is your cornerstone. Look at verse 8; Jesus can be a stone of stumbling for you. Rock of offense- his words are at times going to offend you. Peter is writing to those in the church who are trying. You are appointed to reap, to understand what you are going through. Spiritual sacrifices are your stumbles.